A comparison of knowledge, attitudes and practices of hand hygiene between in-service healthcare workers in East Trinidad and Tobago
Abstract Background Hand hygiene (HH) stands at the forefront of the defence against the spread of disease and Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs). Gaps may exist among the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAPs) of Healthcare Workers (HCWs). This study explores these gaps to understand the sc...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Discover Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-00510-z |
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| author | Rajeev P. Nagassar Roma J. Bridgelal-Nagassar Stephon Rajkumarsingh Devon Husband Selena Juman Nicholas Ramsawak Stephanie Villafana Mariam-Fekerte Jules |
| author_facet | Rajeev P. Nagassar Roma J. Bridgelal-Nagassar Stephon Rajkumarsingh Devon Husband Selena Juman Nicholas Ramsawak Stephanie Villafana Mariam-Fekerte Jules |
| author_sort | Rajeev P. Nagassar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Hand hygiene (HH) stands at the forefront of the defence against the spread of disease and Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs). Gaps may exist among the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAPs) of Healthcare Workers (HCWs). This study explores these gaps to understand the scope of the problem in East Trinidad. Method A cross-sectional study of in-service HCWs employed at the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) was conducted using convenience sampling to meet a pre-determined sample size. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Staff surveyed included medical and non-medical staff. IBM SPSS Version-29 was used for data analysis. Results Sixty one percent of staff received formal HH training while 39.4% of staff did not. Medical staff demonstrated higher levels of knowledge, more positive attitudes and adequate practices of HH. Female sex (p = 0.002) and profession (nurse and medical professionals [p = 0.031]) displayed a significant positive relationship to HH Knowledge. Regrading knowledge of optimal bed: hand wash basin ratios, 36.9% of participants selected ‘1 to 10.’ Female sex showed more positive attitudes to HH as a means of reducing HAI’s (p = 0.033) and better practices of HH based on the WHO’s 5 moments (p < 0.001). Medical staff agreed that they perform HH even if they do not directly interact with patients compared to non-medical staff (p < 0.001). Conclusion Disparities were noted with females exhibiting more positive attitudes and better practices towards HH compared to males. Profession played a role with medical staff demonstrating higher adherence to HH than non-medical staff. Targeted intervention is recommended for male non-medical staff. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-93bad89e2e30484881a5b067bf712f3c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 3005-0774 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Discover Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-93bad89e2e30484881a5b067bf712f3c2025-08-20T03:08:02ZengSpringerDiscover Public Health3005-07742025-04-0122111710.1186/s12982-025-00510-zA comparison of knowledge, attitudes and practices of hand hygiene between in-service healthcare workers in East Trinidad and TobagoRajeev P. Nagassar0Roma J. Bridgelal-Nagassar1Stephon Rajkumarsingh2Devon Husband3Selena Juman4Nicholas Ramsawak5Stephanie Villafana6Mariam-Fekerte Jules7The Department of Microbiology, The Sangre Grande Hospital, The Eastern Regional Health AuthorityMedical Research and Audit, Directorate of Women’s Health, Ministry of HealthThe Department of Public Health, The Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West IndiesThe Department of Public Health, The Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West IndiesThe Department of Public Health, The Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West IndiesThe Department of Public Health, The Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West IndiesThe Department of Public Health, The Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West IndiesThe Department of Public Health, The Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West IndiesAbstract Background Hand hygiene (HH) stands at the forefront of the defence against the spread of disease and Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs). Gaps may exist among the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAPs) of Healthcare Workers (HCWs). This study explores these gaps to understand the scope of the problem in East Trinidad. Method A cross-sectional study of in-service HCWs employed at the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) was conducted using convenience sampling to meet a pre-determined sample size. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Staff surveyed included medical and non-medical staff. IBM SPSS Version-29 was used for data analysis. Results Sixty one percent of staff received formal HH training while 39.4% of staff did not. Medical staff demonstrated higher levels of knowledge, more positive attitudes and adequate practices of HH. Female sex (p = 0.002) and profession (nurse and medical professionals [p = 0.031]) displayed a significant positive relationship to HH Knowledge. Regrading knowledge of optimal bed: hand wash basin ratios, 36.9% of participants selected ‘1 to 10.’ Female sex showed more positive attitudes to HH as a means of reducing HAI’s (p = 0.033) and better practices of HH based on the WHO’s 5 moments (p < 0.001). Medical staff agreed that they perform HH even if they do not directly interact with patients compared to non-medical staff (p < 0.001). Conclusion Disparities were noted with females exhibiting more positive attitudes and better practices towards HH compared to males. Profession played a role with medical staff demonstrating higher adherence to HH than non-medical staff. Targeted intervention is recommended for male non-medical staff.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-00510-zHand hygieneTrinidad and TobagoERHAHealthcare workersKnowledgeAttitudes |
| spellingShingle | Rajeev P. Nagassar Roma J. Bridgelal-Nagassar Stephon Rajkumarsingh Devon Husband Selena Juman Nicholas Ramsawak Stephanie Villafana Mariam-Fekerte Jules A comparison of knowledge, attitudes and practices of hand hygiene between in-service healthcare workers in East Trinidad and Tobago Discover Public Health Hand hygiene Trinidad and Tobago ERHA Healthcare workers Knowledge Attitudes |
| title | A comparison of knowledge, attitudes and practices of hand hygiene between in-service healthcare workers in East Trinidad and Tobago |
| title_full | A comparison of knowledge, attitudes and practices of hand hygiene between in-service healthcare workers in East Trinidad and Tobago |
| title_fullStr | A comparison of knowledge, attitudes and practices of hand hygiene between in-service healthcare workers in East Trinidad and Tobago |
| title_full_unstemmed | A comparison of knowledge, attitudes and practices of hand hygiene between in-service healthcare workers in East Trinidad and Tobago |
| title_short | A comparison of knowledge, attitudes and practices of hand hygiene between in-service healthcare workers in East Trinidad and Tobago |
| title_sort | comparison of knowledge attitudes and practices of hand hygiene between in service healthcare workers in east trinidad and tobago |
| topic | Hand hygiene Trinidad and Tobago ERHA Healthcare workers Knowledge Attitudes |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-00510-z |
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